In such collecting bags it is usually a desire to attach at least a part of the discharge portion temporarily to the bag member in the position of use of the bag in order to attain a compact appearance in this position and to prevent the discharge portion and the closure device from dangling which might be uncomfortable to the user.
In bags having an elongated, substantially flat discharge portion, this portion may be folded or rolled up in the direction of the bag member, and subsequently temporarily secured to the bag member, partly in order to close the bag and partly to attain said compact appearance and the attachment to the bag member.
However, in collecting bags having a closure device of some extent, eg. a valve or a clamp, these solutions may not be applied.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,519,797 discloses a cover for an ostomy pouch having a drain fitting at the bottom of the pouch. The cover has an opening allowing the pouch to be mounted in the usual manner on the plate worn by the patient. The cover has an integral pocket which receives the drain fitting to prevent irritation to the sensitive portions of the anatomy.
This solution, however, while preventing the drain fitting from directly contacting sensitive portions of the anatomy, contributes to the bulkiness of the pouch, thereby compromising the demand for discretion.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,449,971 discloses a collecting bag of the initially stated kind, in which the accommodating means in the form of a pocket having an entrance slit is formed on an extension of the bag member. Similar arrangements are shown in e.g. U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,865,165 and 4,306,029.
In all of the above arrangements the outer contours of the bag are widened due to the accommodating means, thus making the overall size of the bag larger.
Applicant's international published application No. WO 01/21115 discloses a collecting bag of the initially stated kind, in which the accommodating means is provided by means of an open receptacle formed within the outer contours of the bag member and having a basis portion in which the outer film blanks are undetachably connected with each other, the periphery of the basis portion being situated at a distance from the joined edges of the bag member and the discharge portion.
This arrangement provides for a collecting bag, in which the closure device may be lodged in its entirety in the accommodating means without protruding outside the arched planes formed by the film blanks when the bag is expanded by its contents, and the outer contours of which are not affected by the accommodating means.
However, a reduction of the volume available for body wastes in the remaining portion of the bag is unavoidable due to the size of the basis portion, even if the dimensions of the basis portion are adapted to those of the closure device. Furthermore, this collecting bag has some tendency of blocking the passageway to the outlet if, eg., the user exerts a pull in the discharge portion during emptying of the bag, and has moreover some tendency of twisting in the position of use.